Control system for electric motors



June 13, 1933. J. A. ALTMAYER 1,913,910

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Filed May 13, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 4' Fig.1.

June 13, 1933. J ALTMAYER 1,913,910

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Filed May 13, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 202 I 102 b J 5 June 13, 1933. JJA, ALTMAYER 1,913,910

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Filed May 13, 19:50 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.6.

INVIENT'OR June 13, 1933. J. A. ALTMAYER 1,913,910

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Filed May 13, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.8.

)NV NTOR June 13, 1933. J. A. ALTMAYER comm SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Filed lay 13, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 E29 w; E Q 02 $2725 1cm .5: o b

.g oEooow .8502

eh iNv l Toq Patented June 13, 1933 PATENT OFFICE.

JEAN ANDRE ALTMAYER, OF PARIS, FRANCE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS Application filed Kay 13, 1930, Serial No. 452,090, and in France May 17, 1929.

The present invention consists in a control system for electric traction, in which the controllers of the different locomotives (or self moving cars) hauling the train,"are brought simultaneously at the same position; the cont-roller of a locomotive. cannot be brought from a position (a) to the next position (b)before the controllers of all other locomotives have moved to this previous position (a). The rotations of all controllers are then practically synchronized. This invention comprises only one circuit for the control; so that if the track' is used as return conductor, it comprises only one conductor i for the control, which is constituted either by a wire arranged on the cars along the train, or by a third rail laying on the ballast along the track.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corre- 3 the pneumatic control for the switch mechanism.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view of the system as a whole.

This system constituted (Fig. 1) by a controller 1 energizing, through a wire 2, the control wire 100 at definite tensions gradually increasing for each new running position, and this by any means, for instance, by bringing its movable contact pieces 3 in engagement with the fixed contact pieces 4 of a rheostat 5, connected to a constant tension line 6-7. The polarity of this energization can be reversed, for example by a special switch 1a. In each locomotive, a conductor '8 feeds the winding ll of a polarized clectro-valve, its second winding 11 being connected to a constant tension line 12-13.

This electro-valve controls, through its plunger 14, the admission and exhaust of air on either side of the piston 15 movable in a air duct 99 through ducts 400 and 401, open 55 valve 410, ducts 403 and 405 to upper side of piston 15 and maintains the latter in position down; while the air located below th's piston 15 is reflowed into the atmosphere through ducts 406 and 408, open valve 440 and duct 410. Inversely when plunger 14 is brought in up position; valve 410 is closed and valve 430 is open; valve 420 is open and valve 440 is closed-compressed air flows from air duct 99 through ducts 400 and 402, open valve 420, ducts 404 and 406 to the lower side of piston 15 and maintains the latter in up position; while the air located above this iston 15 is reflowed into the atmosphere tirough ducts 405 and 407, open valve 430 and duct 409. The length of the piston stroke is limited by angle blocks 411 and 413 for the up position, 412 and 414 for the down position. The piston 15 transmits its movement, through its rod 17, to a plane 18 (or to a cylinder, the development of which is represented by this plane). This plane 18 carries conducting plates such as 19 when plane 18 moves up, those plates coming into a position such as 19, so that each one of them connects a pair of fixed contacts such as 20. These contacts 20 are connected to wires m, n, p, g, m, n, p, 9 corresponding to motors operation, to locomotive apparatus operation, or to security apparatus operationfor instance, wires m and m feeding the motors, wires n and n feeding the electrovalve which controls the sand-box, etc.

A second similar device is numbered from 28 to 40. According to the polarity of the voltage applied to wire 100 the electrovalve 10 or the electrovalve 30 will be energized, that is to say that the plane 18 or the plane 38 will be moved up. The wires sucl: as mm, n-n, which have to be connected in the forward running are for instance connected to contacts 20 that the plates such as 19 connect when plane 18 moves up; while the wires such as mm', n-n, which have to be connected in the backward running are connected to contacts 40 that the plates such as 30 connect when plane 38 moves up.

Instead of using polarized electrovalves on the wires 8 and 28, use can be made on the same wires of electrovalves which are not polarized and of rectifiers, 8 and 28 (Fig. 8) the latter allowing the current to flow through the said wires only in one direction. The result obtained is the same, that is to say, to energize electrovalve 10 or electrovalve 30 according to the polarity of the control current. The wires 8 and 28 join together so as to constitute a wire 21 which feeds in series the winding 22 shunted by the resistance 23 of the electro-valve 24 and the winding 25 of the electro-valve 26. Fig. 7 shows the construction of valve 24; the duct 501 clearing in atmosphere and duct 502 in air duct 99. The construction of valve 26 is similar but 501 clears in the air duct 99 and duct 502 in atmosphere. These electro-valves regulate the admission and exhaust of the compressed air of a main conduit 99 at the ends of a tube 27, in which can move two pistons 41 and 42, mechanically connected by the rod 43, which carries a rack the teeth of which mesh with those of a toothed wheel 44. This wheel carries a gear 45 on which rotates the pinion 46 of the shaft 47 This shaft is provided with an eccentric member 48 which causes it to exactly rotate to the extent of 360 degrees for a minimum displacement of 43; the said shaft drives the system of pinions 49, 50, 51; on the latter is keyed a shaft 52 which drives, on the one hand, a motor controlling drum 53 efiecting when it rotates the various combinations for connecting and shunting the resistances and the motors, and, on the other hand, the collector ring 54 to which leads the end of the conductor 21, and a member 55 electrically connected to 54, and the end 56 of which alternately rubs on the parts such as 57 and 58 of a fixed flattened cylinder, (Fig. 2) the parts such as 57 being made of insulating material, and the parts such as 58 being made of conducting material. Each member 58 is connected, by a resistance 59, to a wire 60, and thence to the'return wires 200 and 6. The gears 49, 50 and 51 have such dimensions that for a complete revolution of the shaft 47, the shaft 52 rotates according to an angle equal to assuming that n is the member of parts such as 58; on Fig. 2, n is equal to 8.

When a given current passes through the wire 21 and, consequently in the winding 25, a Weaker current will pass through the winding 22. Let J be the value of the current passing through the windings and necessary for actuating the electro-valves 24 or 26, and let (J be the value of the current in the wire 21 and necessary for causing a current J to pass in the windin 22. According to the construction, there Wlll be, on the piston 41, admission of air for any value of the current in the wire 21 which will be inferior to (J-l-j), and exhaust for any value equal to or greater than (J+j); and, on the piston 42, exhaust for any value inferior to J, and admission for any valu equal to or greater than J. That is to say the rack 43 will move. in the direction of the arrow 98 for any value of the current in the wire 21, which is inferior to J; the said rack 43 will move in the direction of the arrow 97 for any value of the current equal to or greater than (J+j), and it will stop for any value equal to J, or greater than J, but inferior to J+j.

\Vhen, through the rotation of the controller 1, the control wire 100 is energized to a certain tension, this consequently causes the rotation of the cylinder 53 up to a position such that the insertion of a further resistance 59, determined by the rotation of 53, limits the current in the wire 21 to a value causing the rotation to stop. By giving to the resistances 59 suitable dimensions in function of the tensions applied to the wire 100, any rotation of the controller 1, has for effect to bring the cylinder 53 in the corresponding position, whether the operation is effected in one direction or the other, and the control can be effected step by step or automatically.

For synchronizing the motors, a ratchet wheel 103 (Fig. 3) is keyed on the shaft 52, and the flat cylinder 104, called transmitter, is loosely and concentrically mounted on this shaft 52. The peripheral portion of the cylinder 104 is provided with a conducting strip 105 having insulating notches 106, the spacing apart of which corresponds to the angle of rotation of the shaft 52 for each elementary operation for getting up speed. A pawl 107, rigid with the transmitter, abuts against the teeth of the ratchet wheel, being held by a spring (not shown), so that when the shaft 52 rotates in the direction of the arrow 102, the transmitter is driven, and in this case only. On the conducting strip 105, and on either side of the latter, rubs a contact 108, connected by wires 109 and 110, to the generator 111, and then, through a wire 112 to an oscillator 113 regulated on the frequency F and a contact 114, connected by the wire 115, to the oscillator 113. The contact 108 is placed on an insulating notch when the shaft 52 is in a position corresponding to a control notch. Upon each elementary rotation of 52, an emission of current will be sent, through wires 118, in the control conductors 100 and 200 connecting the locomotives of the train to the head locomotive; one of the control conductors can be constituted by the track.

In the head locomotive, a receiver 120 is connected, by wires 119, to the control conductors 100 and 200 and is tuned on the frequency F The leading-out terminals of 120 are connected, by wires 121 and 122, to the winding 123 of the electro-magnet 124. Upon each emission, the armature 125 is attracted and closes a local circuit 126127 on the winding 128 of an electro-valve 129, through wires 130, 131 and 132. The rod 133 of the electro-valve 129 controls the inlet and exhaust tubes for compressed air coming from a tank 134, on either side of a piston 135 arranged in a cylinder 136. When the winding 128 is energized, the piston 135'is lifted, and, in the reverse case, the said piston 135 is lowered. During the upward-movement of the piston 135, its rod 137, which is flexible about a joint 138, abuts against a tooth of a wheel 139 rigidly secured on a shaft 140. Onthis shaft is secured a gear wheel 141, meshing with a pinion 142, rigid with a shaft 143 which drives an eccentric member 144; the ratio, of the gears is such that a complete revolution of the pinion 142 corresponds to a revolution of the shaft 140 equal to the rotation of the shaft 52 for an. elementary control operation. Each impulse on a tooth determines an elementary rotation of this locomotive.

of 140, which is accurate owing to the action of the member 144.

A device similar to the preceding one is also mounted on the shaft 52, with the difference that the pawl and the ratchet wheel are reversely arranged, so that the movement of the transmitter takes place for a reverse movement of the shaft 52, and that the frequency on which are tuned the oscillators 113 and 120 is F different from F Similar elements are designated by the same number to which one hundred has been added. The shaft 140 also carries a member 145, called repeater, the position of which will exactly correspond to that of the drum controlling the control operations.

The head locomotive is equipped with as manyreceiving devices as there are locomotives in the remainder of the train; these receiving devices record the emissions of each of the transmitting devices of the locomotives; two different frequencies being assigned to each locomotive, the same conductors 100 and 200 are used for all the locomotives. Therepeater of the head locomotive can be mechanically actuated by the shaft 52 The installation comprises, moreover, a distributor K (Fig. 4) constituted by a fixed disc 146, carrying as many conducting contact pieces a, b, c, as there are control notches, and on which rubs a conducting bar 47, rigid with a movable shaft 148 and connected to the wire 127 of the local distribution by a wire 149 and the winding 151 of a mechanical interlock 150, which allows the rotation of the shaft 148 from one control position to the next one only if the'winding 151 is energized. The repeater acts as a conductor along its portion rubbing on a selector M, constituted by a fixed disc 152, carrying conducting contact pieces a 12 and a fixed disc 153, carrying conducting contact pieces a", b which are concentric with the shaft 40. The pairs of contact pieces a and a 6 and 1), etc., are arranged on one and the same radius and their number is equal to that of the control notches. One selector is provided for each repeater. Fig. 4 shows the assembly for running with two locomotives; the connections would be made in a similar manner for any number of locomotives. A second selector N, similar to M, and belonging to, the second locomotive, is provided with series of contact pieces a, b (1 ,6 The contact pieces of the distributors and selectors are connected as indicated for the series d, that is to say d with d, d with d, and the last (1 with the wire 126 of the local distribution.

If the control is effected notch by notch, the

troller to the control condition D, by moving 147 up to (Z. As soon as 145 will be on d and d, and 245 on d and d, the rotation of the controller can be continued, and so on. If the control is automatic, use will be made of two controllers. A controller of execution, which energizes the control circuits, is mounted on the shaft 148. Its movement is controlled by an operating controller, through the medium of a transmission of known construction, such as that of the air engine with electro-valves. This transmission continuously tends to bring the controller of execution in the same control position as that of the operating controller; the controller of execution will be able to rotate only if the winding 151 is energ zed, the interlock 150 acting either mechanically on the controller of execution, or electrically on the circuit controlling its movement, from the operating controller. Starting for instance from the control condition C in order to go to F, the operating controller will act for causing the controller of execution to rotate until 147 is on f. This member 147 will first come to d when 145 will be on d and (Z and 245 on d and d it will come to 2, etc.

The synchronization is thus obtained for any number of locomotives by us ng only two conductors, either those serving for the control or the feeding line and track; the members used for the control and for the synchronization are respectively protected by suitable inductances and capacities, with the use of dtferent frequencies, two per locomotive (less the head locomot ve if the repeater is keyed on the shaft 52). By a modification of the installation, it is possible to reduce the number of different frequencies to one per locointivc, this being particularly advantageous in the case of a train composed of two locomotives; it suflices to choose for the s \n(ll1O1'1iZ ltlOI1 current, a current superposable to the control current. The modification will be described as applied in this case.

At the terminals 301200 (Fig. 5) exists a certain tension. On the shaft 52 is loosely mounted a conducting disc 302, provided with insulating notches 303, and a ratchet wheel 304 which causes the disc 302 to rotate when the shaft 52 rotates in a reverse direction to that. of the increasing accelerations; on the shaft 52 is also keyed a conducting disc 305 provided with insulating notches 306. On the disc 302 rub fixed contacts 307 and 308, and 011 the disc 305, fixed contacts 309 and 310. For each working position, the contacts 307 and 308 rub on the conducting portion, and the contacts 309 and 310 on insulating portions. The contacts 309 and 310 are connected to the ends of a resistance 311. The entire device is arranged between the wire 301 and the wire 100, and constitutes the transmitter.- In the head locomotive, the wire 100 is connected to the wire 200, on the one hand by the wire 312 and the winding of an electro-magnet 313, the armature 314 of which breaks the circuit of the winding of an elect-ro-magnct 315 arranged between 301 and 200, whether the resistance 311 be short-circuited or not by the disc 305, on the other hand by a wire 316 and the winding of an electro-magnet- 317, which is actuated only if the resistance 311 is short-circuited. Upon acceleration, 302 does not move, 311 is shortcircuited at each notch, 317 is therefore energized once ateach notch, this having for efl'ect to draw the armature 318, movable about an axis 319, against the stress of an antagonistic spring 320, and a rod 321, through the medium of a spring 322, pushes the teeth of a wheel 323 and causes it to rotate in the direction 324 in opposition to the action of a spring (not shown) which tends to cause the wheel 323 to rotate in the direction 325. On the wheel 323 is mounted the rc peater 145. In the reverse operation, the disc 302 is actuated and, at each notch, complete interruption of current takes place, the armature 314 is thus closed, the winding 315 is energized, the armature 326, movable about 327, is attracted in opposition to the action of the antagonistic spring 328, this releasing the toothed wheel 323 which can move to the extent of one notch or step in the direct-ion 325. The repeater 145 follows therefore the movement of the shaft 52. If necessary, the repeater 145 can actuate, through a servo-motor, a repeater of heavier construction.

The synchronizing system can be applied with a train control having two conductors only or several control circuits.

I summarize here after general operation which is schematically shown in Fig. 9.

The controller sends control current on wires 100 and 200. This control current goes in the elect-ropneumatic motor for control operation of each locomotive. The motor controlling drum 53 is moved, and with it, element 104. By the displacement of element 104, the current generator 111 sends current into the high frequency current. This high frequency current goes through wires 100 and 200 to the receiver 120 which is time for this frequency. This receiver detects the high frequency current and sends current to the device acting element such as 145 or 245 (low part of Fig. 3). These elements 145 take corresponding position and when they are all at same position, elements M, N and K allow, through their electrical connections, the controller to move to another position (device shown in detail Fig. 4).

I have taken the case of two locomotives, but it. is easily understood that operation would be similar with any number of locomotives; the head locomotive has as many repeating devices as there are locomotives to be controlled.

I claim:

1. In a control system for electric motors, a'control switch arranged in an electric circuit for producing therein, when the said switch is operated, modifications of the cur rent passing through this circuit, a motor, means for causing the modifications of the current in the said circuit to control the operation of the said motor, a secondary switch actuated by the said motor so that its situation corresponds at every instant to that of the control switch, a combinator, means for actuating this combinator in order that its position corresponds at every instant to that of the secondary switch, two switches adapted to be actuated each according to the direction of movement of the combinator, two generators roducing alternating electric currents of di erent frequencies, arranged for being respectively shunted, by the above mentioned switches, on the electric control circuit, means for receiving these alternatin currents, arranged adjacent to the controI switch, members moved by the said means for indicating the position of the combinator and for determining the locking or release of a member acting either on the said control switch, or on the electric transmission connecting this switch to the operating controller.

2. In a control system for electric motors, a control switch arranged in an electric circuit for producing therein, when the said switch is operated, variations of voltage, a relay arranged in the circuit, a motor, means I for causing the said relay to control the operation of the motor, a secondary switch actuated by the said motor and arranged for closing the said circuit on difierent resistances,

so that its position corresponds at every instant to that of the control switch, a combinator, means for actuating this combinator in order that its situation corresponds at every instant to that of the secondary switch, two switches adapted to be actuated each according to the direction of movement of the com: binator, two generators producing alternating electric currents of different frequencies, arranged for being respectively shunted, by the above mentioned switches, on the electric control circuit, means for receiving these alternating currents, arranged adjacent to the control switch, members moved by the said means for indicating the position of the combinator and for determining the locking or release of a member acting either on the said control switch, or on the electric transmission connecting this switch to the operating controller.

3. In a control system for electric motors, a control switch arranged in an electric circuit for producing therein, when the said switch is operated, modifications of the current passing through this circuit, a motor, means for causing the modifications of the current in the said circuit to control the operation of the said motor, a secondary switch actuated by the said motor, so that its situation corresponds at every instant to that of the control switch, a combinator, means for actuating this combinator in order that its position corresponds at every instant tovthat of the secondary switch, two switches adapted to be actuated each according to the direction of movement of the oombinator, a generator producing an electric alternating current, means for causing the movement of each switch to produce, in the control circuit, impulses of alternating current of different intensities, according as one or the other of the switches is actuated, means for receiving these impulses, arranged ad'acent to the control switch, members moved the said means for indicating the position 0 the combinator and for determining the looking or release of a member acting, either on the said control switch, or on the electric transmission connecting this switch to the operating controller.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

JEAN ANDRE ALTMAYER. 

